Levingston proud of new NBL, wants it to be better

A quarter of the way through the NBL’s first season, chief architect Andre Levingston gushes like a proud new father when he begins to talk about the professional basketball league he helped bring to Canada less than seven months ago.

"The level of play is extremely high," said the league president and Halifax Rainmen owner, who joined forces with the Saint John Mill Rats and Quebec Kebs to form the NBL in May when the three teams pulled out of the Premier Basketball League.

"There are some things that we have to do better but we’re putting procedures and processes in place so we can be better next year than we were this year.

"But as a whole, from the level of play, from execution, entertainment value, I think the league has definitely been what it set out to do. I’m impressed with our first year."

The Rainmen lead the league in attendance, averaging just under 2,900 fans after five home games, while the Mill Rats, London Lightning, Moncton Miracles and Summerside Storm are generally drawing close to 2,000 most nights.

Only the Kebs and Oshawa Power are struggling at the gate. Oshawa has averaged just over 700 fans in seven starts at General Motors Place and the Kebs have drawn an average of 685 in five dates at Laval University, though they’ve topped 1,000 in each of their last two.

Levingston said the league is working with both franchises to try to improve their numbers. The NBL has said teams should be financially viable if they can average 2,000 to 2,500 fans.

"It takes time to build this thing here," said Levingston, whose Rainmen averaged 1,800 fans in 2007-08, their first season.

"It’s definitely a business that’s gonna have to be grown and as long as we do what we say we’re gonna do, stay committed to the business model and run our business the right way, I think it’s just gonna get better and better."